Sustainable Winegrowing and Winemaking

The New Zealand industry recognised that
a proactive approach towards sustainable
production was required. In the mid-1990s,
after considerable research, a holistic
programme—later named Sustainable
Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ)—
was launched.
Sustainability is integral to the success of
New Zealand wine. Members are committed
to protecting the unique places that make
our famous wines by reducing the use of
chemicals, energy, water and packaging,
and wherever possible reusing and recycling
materials and waste. The programme sets
benchmarks to provide measurable targets
but, in our view, sustainability is a journey of
continual improvement. Each year our targets
become more ambitious, because every
breakthrough we make is an opportunity
to set the bar even higher.